The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio

The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio

Sunday August 9

MORTIMER & WHITEHOUSE: GONE FISHING Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer’s life-affirming show, which is far more about fun and friendship than it is about angling, makes its debut on Dave tonight. Dave, 8pm

PERMISSION TO SPEAK, SIR; DAD’S ARMY ON RADIO: A  three-hour celebration of the wartime Home Guard sitcom, written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft. After the original TV broadcast, the BBC adapted the TV scripts for radio, featuring the same cast, including Arthur Lowe as Captain Mainwaring, John Le Mesurier as Sergeant Wilson and Clive Dunn Corporal Jones. In this retrospective, first broadcast on BBC Radio 7 in 2005, Harold Snoad and Michael Knowles, who adapted the scripts for the radio, share their memories and choose six of their favourite episodes. Radio 4 Extra, 1pm

Tuesday August 11

ONE TO ONE: In this new three-part series, comedian Russell Kane explores exactly what is meant by the terms introvert and extrovert, as coined by psychoanalyst Carl Jung in 1921. He questions whether it is useful to define people in this way and whether we have a cultural bias towards one personality type over the other. Radio 4, 9.30am

Wednesday August 12

PAUL SINHA’S GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: The comic and quizzer presents another collection of inter-related, and eye-opening facts. This episode is focused on writers, from the famous writer who also played for Portsmouth FC, to the writer who refused to referee a racist boxing match, and the playwright who made Robson and Jerome stars. The programme was recorded virtually, with an audience of 200 people watching him from the comfort of their own homes. Radio 4, 6.30pm

Thursday August 13

MANDY: This new sitcom written, directed by and starring Philomena Cunk star Diane Morgan, tells of a woman with big dreams – mainly breeding Doberman Pinchers – who struggles with more day-to-day concerns. Tom Basden guests in episode one, and Michelle Greenidge, Michael Spicer and Maxine Peake co-star in episode two, which will be screened straight afterwards. BBC Two, 9.30pm Followed by episode two of Lee Mack sitcom Semi-Detached at 10pm and then Matt Berry’s surreal Squeamish About… at 10.30pm.

Published: 9 Aug 2020